VPNs surge in Australia as stricter age verification checks are introduced – but be careful which ones you download

VPNs have surged up Australian app stores as new, stricter age verification laws are introduced in the country.

Websites, games, and "explicit" AI chatbots hosting adult content now require users to prove they are over 18 years old, and interest in the best VPNs is spiking as a result.

Australia joins the UK, and a significant number of US states, in implementing age verification checks. The country also imposed a social media ban for under-16s in December 2025.

Not every VPN being downloaded is safe. Alongside reputable VPNs like NordVPN, Proton VPN, Surfshark, and Norton VPN, suspicious, potentially unsafe VPNs are also gaining popularity – putting your personal data at risk.

Below, we outline which are safe to use, and which to avoid.

The VPNs at a glance

Below is a table comparing the VPNs rising up app stores. We have detailed each VPN's safety status, price, and whether it has a free trial.

Safe VPNs

NordVPN

NordVPN is arguably the most well-known VPN, and it's the VPN we recommend for most people. Data from Sensor Tower shows NordVPN sitting at #15 on the Australian App Store's overall free app downloads list. The VPN is at #11 on Google Play's overall free app downloads for Australia.

For the "Utilities" category, NordVPN sits #3 on the Apple App Store list. It's #2 for the Google Play "Tools" category.

According to reports, NordVPN was #189 on the Apple App Store's overall rankings – for the week beginning March 2, 2026.

NordVPN is a reputable and safe VPN. It has audited its no-logs policy five times, and boasts the highest standards of privacy and security protections.

A two-year plan starts at $3.39 per month ($81.36 upfront pre-tax). In Australia, NordVPN plans start at AU$4.59 per month (AU$110.16 upfront, pre-tax).

Proton VPN

Proton VPN is one of the most private VPNs on the market and it offers a paid plan alongside one of the best free VPNs – Proton VPN Free.

The VPN ranks #14 on the Australian Apple App Store's overall app downloads and #7 on Australian Google Play's.

It ranks first amongst the "Tools" category on Google Play and second in the App Store's "Productivity" category. Proton VPN had previously been 174th on the Apple App Store's overall rankings.

Like NordVPN, Proton VPN is a very reputable and safe VPN. Its no-logs policy has been fully audited and all features are included with every plan. Proton VPN Free allows you to secure your data with basic, but effective, VPN protections.

A two-year paid Proton VPN plan costs $2.99 per month ($71.76 upfront). In Australia, plans cost AU$4.79 per month (AU$269 upfront).

Surfshark & Norton VPN

Surfshark and Norton VPN didn't appear in the top 25 of overall app store downloads, but did feature in specific category lists in Australia.

Surfshark sits at #6 in Google Play "Tools" category and Norton VPN is #21. Surfshark is also #19 on the Apple App Store's "Productivity" list.

Both VPNs are safe and highly recommended. Neither has the feature spread of NordVPN or Proton VPN, but both do the core VPN features very well, and have some unique extras.

Both can be considered some of the best cheap VPNs. Surfshark costs $1.99 per month, while Norton VPN is $2.49 per month – both are cheaper than NordVPN and Proton VPN premium plans.

In Australia, Surfshark plans start at AU$2.79 per month ($AU75.33 upfront, pre-tax). Norton VPN plans cost AU$5.83 per month (AU$69.99 upfront).

Potentially risky VPNs

Not every VPN that has jumped up Australia's app store rankings are ones recommended by Tom's Guide.

VPN - Super Unlimited Proxy

VPN - Super Unlimited Proxy made appearances across the Apple App Store. It ranks #6 on the Apple App Store's overall free app downloads, but didn't feature on the Google Play equivalent. It's #3 in the "Productivity" category on the Apple App Store.

The VPN also saw a spike in downloads in the UK back in July 2025, following the UK's introduction of the Online Safety Act.

Sensor Tower reports the app has over two million downloads worldwide. Its own X account claims over one billion downloads, yet only has 684 followers.

An exodus privacy report recorded the app as having 28 trackers and 40 permission in its Android VPN app – a seriously high number, far more than most Android VPN apps.

From a data privacy perspective, we wouldn't recommend downloading the app.

Free VPN by FreeVPN.org

Free VPN by FreeVPN.org is #22 in the Australian Apple App Store's "Utilities" category. The VPN was another that saw popularity in the UK last year.

Its privacy policy is sparse. This leaves concerns surrounding its data collection practices.

Free VPN Super – Fast & Secure

Free VPN Super – Fast & Secure sits at #20 on the Australian Google Play store, within the "Tools" category. Its Google Play page claims 50 million+ downloads but says your data isn't encrypted. Its privacy policy is short, vague, and hasn't been updated since 2017.

All this raises alarm bells and we wouldn't recommend downloading this VPN.

Free VPN – Fast & Secure Proxy

Free VPN – Fast & Secure Proxy is #8 on the Australian Apple App Store's "Utilities" list.

Location, usage data, identifiers, and diagnostics are all listed as data used to track you and linked to you. This again can be seen as a red flag, and we wouldn't recommend downloading the app.

Turbo VPN Private Browser & X-VPN: VPN Fast & Secure

Turbo VPN Private Browser and X-VPN: VPN Fast & Secure are #23 and #25 respectively on the Apple App Store "Productivity" list. Turbo VPN is a VPN Tom's Guide has previously warned about, and one that has faced accusations of links to the Chinese military through various levels of ownership.

X-VPN: VPN Fast & Secure doesn't list anything on its App Store page that immediately worries us. But, like many free VPNs, its features seem a little too good to be true, and we'd suggest you avoid the app.

Why are people turning to VPNs?

People appear to be turning to VPNs in a bid to avoid age verification checks – but not all of them are safe.

Google Trend data shows a sharp rise in the search term "VPN" in Australia since March 5, 2026. A sustained period of high search also occurred in February.

Facial recognition, digital IDs, and credit card information are examples of the personal data required to be submitted for Australians to prove their age. As a result, there are concerns over the privacy and cybersecurity risks of handing over this data.

In trying to bypass restrictions, Australians are risking their privacy and data in other ways by handing it over to potentially unsafe VPNs – with their data more at risk than with age verification checks.